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Analyzing Congress provides students with the basic analytical tools for understanding congressional politics. In addition to introducing the fundamental concepts and theory, the text includes many empirical cases drawn from the classic Congress literature and from recent developments in Congress. For the Second Edition, new cases and updated data figures have been added throughout the text, expanded problem sets and conceptual questions now appear at the end of every chapter, and the presentation of the spatial model in Chapter 1 has been revised to make it more teachable to undergraduates.

Charles Stewart III is Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of Budget Reform Politics: The Design of the Appropriations Process in the House, 1865-1921 (Cambridge University Press) and numerous journal articles about Congress, elections, and voting technology. Professor Stewart has been recognized by MIT as one of a select body of McVicar fellows "who have profoundly influenced MIT students through their sustained and significant contributions to teaching and curriculum development."

Preface

p. xv

An (Unusual) Introduction to the Study of Congress

p. 3

The Politics of Lineland: Spatial Voting Theory in One Dimension

p. 7

The Politics of Flatland: The Multidimensional Spatial Voting Model

p. 23

Two Unresolved Issues: Salience and Sophistication

p. 36

Spatial Voting Theory and the Study of Congress

p. 47

Further Reading

p. 50

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 50

Problems

p. 52

The Constitutional Origins of Congress

p. 58

The Failure of the First Congress of the United States

p. 59

What the Framers Wrought

p. 65

Spatial Analysis of Constitutional Features

p. 74

Further Reading

p. 88

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 89

Problems

p. 90

The History and Development of Congress

p. 95

The Experimental Era, 1789-1812

p. 101

The Democratizing System, 1820-1860

p. 103

The Civil War System, 1865-1896

p. 111

The Textbook Era, 1912-1968

p. 117

The Candidate-Centered Congress

p. 125

Conclusion

p. 131

Further Reading

p. 131

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 132

The Choices Candidates Make: Running for Congress

p. 138

Strategic Choice and Political Careers

p. 140

Progressive Ambition in the United States

p. 143

The Costs and Benefits of Running for Office

p. 149

Incumbents, Challengers, and Open Seat Candidates

p. 161

Conclusion: The Engine of Ambition in Congressional Elections

p. 168

Further Reading

p. 168

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 169

Problems

p. 170

The Choices Voters Make

p. 175

The Decision to Vote

p. 176

Deciding Whom to Support

p. 190

The Problem of Multiple Constituencies: Primaries versus the General Election

p. 195

Further Reading

p. 200

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 200

Problems

p. 201

Regulating Elections

p. 205

Running for Congress: The Basics

p. 206

Congressional Districting

p. 210

Campaign Finance

p. 226

Conclusion

p. 244

Further Reading

p. 245

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 245

Problems

p. 247

Parties and Leaders in Congress

p. 254

The History of Political Parties in Congress

p. 255

Parties as Organizations

p. 263

On the Strength of Parties

p. 276

The Benefits of Strong Parties in Congress

p. 285

Conclusion

p. 289

Further Reading

p. 289

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 290

Committees in Congress

p. 294

The Committee System

p. 296

House-Senate Comparisons

p. 333

Theoretical Perspectives on Committees

p. 339

Further Reading

p. 352

Summary of Key Concepts

p. 353

Problems

p. 356

Doing It on the Floor: The Organization of Deliberation and What We Can Learn from It